Lectures محاضرات muhaadaraat

NEC’s faculty are local evangelical Palestinian-Israelis who have enjoyed an international education. We have prepared a variety of lectures touching on different facets of our community and our context. These lectures can either be booked individually or they can be strung together to create study courses united by common themes.

Individual lectures can be booked at any time.

A full one-day course could have the following structure:

08:30 – 10:00: lecture 1

10:00 – 10:30: coffee break (Arabic coffee and sweets)

10:30 – 12:00: lecture 2

12:00 – 13:00: lunch in college (a local Palestinian dish)

13:00 – 14:30: lecture 3

14:30 – 15:00: coffee break (Arabic coffee and sweets)

15:00 – 16:00: lecture 4

(16:00 – 16:30: coffee break

16:30 – 18:00: lecture 5).

Continue reading to see the lectures we offer, combined according to different themes. Remember: you can pick and choose any combination of lectures from the lists below, these are just suggestions.

“Faith in Context”: a 9-lecture course

The lectures in this course touch on different aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli evangelical community and its context in Israel: historical, political, theological, and religious.

1.

History of the evangelical movement in Israel

A history and survey of evangelical missionary activity in Israel and the churches that have developed from it.

2.

Christians in Israel-Palestine Today

An introduction to major Palestinian theological movements and tendencies in Israel along with statistics and terminology.

3.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The history of the conflict from an evangelical Palestinian Israeli perspective.

4.

A Theology of the Land

A study of the theology of the land in the Old and New Testaments, with a special reference to the Palestinian–Israeli conflict.

5.

Messianic Jews

A brief introduction to the history and theology of Messianic Judaism by a Messianic Jew, including current challenges faced by the community in Israel today.

6.

Judaism

An introduction to the history and thought of Judaism, including a consideration of its major turning points and divisions. There will also be a comparison of modern and ancient Judaism.

7.

Islam

An introduction to the basic tenets, beliefs, and practices of Islam.

8.

Conflict resolution in East and West: a socio-theological perspective

Arab churches in Israel live in a Middle Eastern culture in the context of a Western-style state. When practicing conflict management and resolution they draw in different ways on different models. As churches, they also seek to be faithful to the gospel. Rula Mansour, an experienced lawyer, prosecutor, and mediator shares the result of her doctoral research on this important field.

9.

Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation in Israel-Palestine

A presentation of the Biblical principles of reconciliation, peace, and justice and with an application to the current context in Israel-Palestine.

“Baptist Heritage in Israel”: a 4-lecture course

The Baptists constitute the largest evangelical denomination in Israel, with the largest concentration of churches in the Galilee. A local PhD trained historian and Baptist pastor will share his wealth of knowledge – drawing on both archival material and personal experience.

The Baptist church in Israel-Palestine When and how did the Baptist Church get started in Israel-Palestine? What challenges and opportunities does it face? What are its main characteristics today?
The history of Baptist Congregations in Nazareth Starting from a single mother church in the heart of Nazareth, the city now has five separate congregations. How did they develop? What are their characteristics?
Introduction to the ABC (Association of Baptist Churches in Israel) The ABC is an indigenous, almost exclusively Arab organization that serves Israel’s Baptist churches. Discover its history, structure, challenges and potential.
Baptist Identity Based on interviews with Baptist leaders, we inquire into the main ways in which Palestinian-Israeli Baptists identity themselves.

“Evangelical Presence among Arabs in Israel: an 8-lecture course

This course takes the four lectures from the “Baptist Heritage” course and supplements them with the following four (or it can just consist of these four lectures):

The main evangelical denominations among Palestinian-Israelis Introduction to the history and theology of the five main evangelical denominations: Baptist, Brethren (Open and Closed), Assemblies of God, Nazarene, Missionary Alliance.
Introduction to the CECI (Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel) The CECI was developed to help unify the disparate Arab evangelical denominations in the country, pool resources, and create a single evangelical face for the outside world. This lectures summarizes its history, characteristics, and the challenges it faces.
Introduction to major evangelical ministries among and by Arabs in the Galilee An overview and introduction to various ministries in the Galilee region that specifically work among Arabs.
Arab evangelical views of Messianic Jews This lecture is based on the results of a comprehensive survey. It reveals points of friction and makes suggestions for ways forward.

“Religious communities in Israel”: a 4-lecture course

Judaism

An introduction to the history and thought of Judaism, with a view to the situation in Israel today.
Christianity in the Holy Land Many Christian denominations are present in the Holy Land, some have ancient roots, some are newcomers. What is their history and what are their theological distinctives?
Islam

An introduction to the basic tenets, beliefs, and practices of Islam, with a view to the situation in Israel today.

Religious and cultural minorities in Israel A brief introduction to the history and beliefs of four cultural and religious minorities in Israel: the Circassians, Druze, Ahmadiyye, and Baha’í.

Further lectures

The lectures suggested above can be supplemented or replaced by the following lectures:

Arab Christianity  A brief history and survey of Arab Christianity that shows the diversity of Christian church families.
The sermon on the Mount from a Palestinian perspective An evangelical Palestinian-Israeli Biblical scholar reads this text in light of his own political, cultural, and historical context.
The gospel of John from a Palestinian Perspective An evangelical Palestinian-Israeli Biblical scholar reads this gospel in light of his own political, cultural, and historical context.
History of Nazareth Evangelical College An historical overview provided by someone who has been involved from the beginning.
My Jewish neighbor Dr. Yohanna Katanacho reflects upon his experiences growing up in East Jerusalem, his conversion to Christ, and the way his faith has shaped how he relates to his Jewish neighbors.

Please remember, you can select and combine any lectures as you see fit. To discuss a possible course for your group, please contact us at info@nazcol.org or call the college on +972 (0)4-6464898, between 08:00 a.m. and 13:00 p.m.

Feedback from Participants

~ “Thank you for your thoughtful and engaging lecture. You have encouraged us to read our Bibles from a Palestinian perspective, and the Old Testament with the centrality of Christ.”

~ “I can better understand the situation and see how complicated it is.”

~ “I have a greater appreciation for Palestinians and my faith has been solidified.”

~ “I have a deeper understanding of the Palestinian experience, of being a Christian in this area.”

~ “I will never forget your warmest hospitality, welcoming us enthusiastically and taking care us very well, especially the fellowship that we had in Christ. I look forward to working with you together for the Kingdom of God. I’ll always remember Israel and Nazareth Evangelical College in my prayers.”